Slat blind



Aug. 4,: 1925 1,548,523

' J. FRIEND SLAT BLIND Filgd July 31, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR: by flnerzal Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,548,523 PATENT ounce.

JOHN FRIEND, OF COOGEE, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

SLAT BLIND.

I -Application filed July 31, 1923. Serial 'No. 654,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OIIN FRIEND, subject of the'King of Great Britain, residing at 31 Carr Street, Coogee, near Sydney, New

South Wales, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slat Blinds, of which the following'is a specification. v v

This invention relates to slat blinds for windows and the like.

It consists in a novel method of suspending the slats in such blinds, in which method a spring roller is located below the lowermost slat and suspension cords or flexible wires which are rolled on said spring roller pass through eyeletted holes in the slats and thence over sheaves fixed in the lintel, with the fall of each cord fastened to the top slat in the assembly.

The top slat'is a stifl member and all the slats are woven together by means ottwo or more lines of cords or narrow tapes so that the slats may pleat to collapse and extend as the blind is drawn, the extension, however, being limited so that the slats in the extended position always take up a zigzag position, thus offering a new characteristic in the appearance of the blind which differentiates it from known types of slat blinds in which the slats set in a single plane when the blind is extended.

The weaving cords are crossed or knotted at the joints between the slats and at the crossing or knotting point are inset in nicks in the slat edges, so that the slats, when in extended order, will set closely edge to edge, thus to provide an effective closure against sun rays. The spring roller is housed in a casing which forms a convenient hand grip, and with-the enclosed roller serves as a weight on the bottom end of the blind which stretches the blind taut. The suspension cords are reeved through eyeletted holes; elliptical eyelets are used in order to diminish abrasion of the cords and incidentally to augment appearance. The eyelets are double flanged eyelets to offer ,an e ually good appearance on either side of the lind.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 1s a side elevatlonal view of a' lJllIld according to the present'invention, as it appears when raised and the slats "collapsed;

Fig. 2 is "a similar view showing the same blind partly drawn;

Fig. 3. is 'a similarjview showing the same blindfully drawn; i

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the spring roller and housing;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 77 Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section in full size, being an enlargement of the proportion adopted in the earlier figures indicating the angular setting of the slats when the blind is extended.

The lintel 10 is fixed on brackets or screwed up directly to the head of a window frame or to the fascia of a balcony or the like, or to any other support below which the blind is required to hang. The slats 11 when constructed of wood are made thinner'than the conventional Venetian blind slats and of lesser width. I do not restrict myself to any particular proportions for the slats but I observe that a blind constructed of slats the full width of which is about two inches has a characteristic elegant appearance, particularly when constructed with wood slats finished in the natural tones of the wood used. Particularly when intended for use in exposed situations these blinds may be constructed of slats of metal instead of slats of wood. To augment stiffness the slats when constructed of metal may be curved or corrugated transversely of their length, the curves or corrugations as the case may be being disposed sothat the slats will nest closely together when the blind is pleated closed. The metal slats are finished by enamelling. The slats are bound together by an appropriate numberof warp cords or tapes 12, the slats forming in effect wefts in the 'weave which is produced by crossing and preferably knotting the pairs of warp or hinder cords or tapes 12 at the crossing points. edge of each slat to accommodate the knot An indentation 13 is made in the or twist of the warp cords or tapes. 7 This is seen in Fig. 8, where however, a sim le cords, but that for thepurpose of the pres-J f slats edge to edge,

cut invention it is immaterial whether crossin% or knotting is adopted.

he warps 12 bind the complete assembly so that the assembly may be'collapsed in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, and ma be extended for any desired portion of t e length of the blind or for the whole length of the blind, as is indicated respectively in Figs. 4 and 3. Each slat has fixed in it two or more eyelets 14 symmetrically disposed to accommodate the sus ension cords or flexible wires 15. Two suc suspension cords or wires 15 are shown in Fig. 5, but it is to be understood that, according to the width of the blind, three or more suspension cords or wires such as 15 may be used. The eyelets 14 may be circular but are preferably elliptical with the major diameter transverse of the slot so as to offer full clearance for the run of the suspension cords 15, and minimizeabrasion of the cords. The top end of each suspension cord or wire 15 is carried over a sheave 16 fixed in the lintel 10, and the-fall 17 of each such cord or Wire is fixed to the top slat 18 as seen in Fig. 5. The end of the fall may be secured by knottin it under the hole in the top slat 18 throng which it passes. It is pre erred that the top slat 18 should be of substantial thickness in order to withstand the special stress appliedto it by reason .of the connection of the falls 17. At the lower end each suspension line 15 is carried over the barrel 20 of a spring roller 21' of the well known rollerblind type. This s ring roller is housed in a casing 22 prefera ly formed of sheet aluminum slotted along the to edge as shown at 23;s1ich a casing may readil formed by pressing up a. flat sheet, clearance spaces24 being provided to accommodate the reels 25 of the suspension cords 15 in appropriate position.

The blind'roller centres, with the usual attachments are carried in the end caps 25, which caps are adapted to embrace the ends of the housing casin 23 in which the blind roller is secreted; t e suspension cords 15 run through the slot'23 in the top of the casing 22.

By a, little dexterous manipulation, similar to that necessary in 0 rating the well known spring roller blin the roller 21 is freed or looked as the case ma be; when the blind is extended, the usua manipulation is practised to cause the roller pawl to engage and hold the roller fixed. The blind wi 1 then hang, as for instance in the manner shown in Fig. 5. To raise the blind, the pawl is released by the usual movement, and the blind allowed to collapse upwardly, the suspension cords 15 then rolling onto the barrel 20; the slats, one by one, pleat back as indicated in' Fi 2 untll ultimately the whole assembly is p eated up and forms the closed arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

amazes or to any of the intermediate slats the falls' 17 of the suspension cords 15 and the slats will pleat in order, leaving the blind arranged as shown in Fig. 4.. When the release movement is performed, the whole assembly will run up to full closed position indicated in Fig.

By the arrangement in which the sprin .roller is associated with the bottom end 0 the blind instead of as usual being set above the blindand utilized to sus end the blind, a great advantage is obtaine A steadying weight is provided to hold the blind extended and facility is offered without the addition of any mec anism for permitting the lowering of the blind from the top slat downward so as to offer top ventilation.

The arrangement accordmg to which zigzag extension of the slats is obtained, ofi'ering entirel novel appearance and great lateral rigi it is also a leading feature of the invention. The length of the sus ion cords 15 is proportioned to allow or the full extension of the blind but not sufliciently to allow the slats to set in lane. The friction of the running cords 15 m the eyelets 14 is an important element in the invenprevent mechanical injury which would otherwise soon show itself as wear, if the suspension cords were, as in the case of Venetian blinds, run through punched holes in the wooden slats. p i

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by'Letters atent is Ahblind constructed of relatively narrow separate light, slats of wood orjnetal havingeyeletted holes, cords or wires crossed at the joints between said slats so as to weave said slats to ether to fold in zig-zgi pleats when exten ed, a casing suspend at the bottom end of said blind, a spring roller secreted in said casing, flexible suspension elements rolled over said roller and reeved toand fro through :35 eyeletted holes in the slats, and sheaves Lemme mounted on a lintel and having said flexible the blind and also to permit the top slants suspension elements, passed thereover with to be pleated downwardly to give s elem the top ends of said flexible sus ension elespace for free ventilation above the closed 1W ments fixed to the to slat 0 the blind, portion of-the hlind.

Q 6 thereby ito permitthe lind lobe raised or In l;estimo1r y whereof E efix my signelowered' by means of said spring roller to lure.

. ofier en unobstructed window snace below. JOHN FRIUEND. 

